Bumper for commercial vacuum cleaners



Sept. 28, 1943. co 2,330,684

' BUMPER FOR COMMERCIAL VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Oct. 18,1941- :2 S ig j INV ENT OR.

Patented Sept. 28, 1943 BUMPER FOR COMMERCIAL VACUUM. I .CLEANERS Joseph J. Golfing, Pittsburgh, Pa." 7 1 {Application October 18, 1941, Serial Nm 415,573 1 Claim. (cl. 151-1) This inven ion relates to bumpers for portable commercial vacuum cleaners of the can type and has among its objects the provision of a resilient bumper.

Another object of the invention is'tofprovide a bumper for commercial vacuum cleaners which may be used as ahand-hold by the operator for manipulating the cleaner orwh'en emptying the dirt from the dirt can or dirt receptacle.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a commercial vacuum cleaner, having a cylindrical dirt receptable, with a resilient bumper which is mounted concentrically around the exterior and adjacent the topthereof. Yet another object of the presentin'vention is to provide a concentric elastic bumper around a cylindrical dirt can, mounted adjacent its top thereof, which may be used to great advantage to support the upper portion of thedirt can'upon the floor while cleaning or removing the dust from the walls of the can. t t f A further object of the invention is toprpvide an efiicient bumper for a; portable commercial vacuum cleaner which may, be efficiently used aboard a moving ship thereby preventing any damage to the room wallsof the ship or to the body of the cleaner, especially during stormy weather, while the ship is rocking.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a portable commercial vacuum cleaner with a resilientbumper that willbe eflicient in operation, simple in design andconveniently adapted for various purposes;

Yet another object of theinvention is to pro.-

vide a commercial vacuum sweeper with a resilient bumper which is inexpensive to manufacture, easily installed and 'one whicl rwill. considerably add to the general appearance and efliciency of the apparatus. I W I Other objects of these improvements will appear in the course of the description of the device taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein are shown two embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which come within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portable commercial vacuum sweeper showing the imof'the dirt can brdirt receptacle on line 2-4 in Figure 1 showing the bumper installed.

Figure '3is 7 an enlarged detail view of the bumper on line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1

Figure! shows on a small scale, the posture of the vacuum cleaner, especially when used .in rooms aboardships or in rooms of buildings, in which the "bumper serves to prevent injury to walls and furniture with which the cleaner may come in contact during. the operation also to prevent damaging or the. cleaning apparatus.

Figure 5*shows, on a small scale, the posture of thevacuum cleaner, with the motor fan assem bly removed, when it is desired to clean out the dust receptacle; in'thls'case, the bumper being used as. a support for'the upper portion of the dustican'.

Figure 6 shows, on a small scale, the posture of .the'dust can portionof the vacuum cleaner in which the-operator tilts:the dust can by using the bumper asa hand-hold. t 1

Figure? isa fragmentary perspective View of a modified construction of a bumper in which a detachable,*tire'-like resilient covering is being slipped over a tubular ring;

Referring now to the drawing it will be noted that the improvements of the present invention relates particularly to commercial vacuum cleaners; ofrv the cylindrical can type'which are moved from room to room and attached to an electric wall socket by means of a flexible electriccord;

The numeral I0 designates as an entirety a commercial vacuum a cleaner, such. as extensively used for hotels; stores, schools, ships, etc;; having a cylindrical dust can or dust receptacle l I which is supported on casterslZ'. A removable top, I3, held'in positionby clamps M of any suitable designgcontain the electric motor and fan, better known in the trade as fan assembly (not shown), while the dust receptacle II is provided with a 'removablefilt'er (notshown);

A flexible tube I5 is joined and firmly attached to the tubular projection l6 of the dust can II and carries at its free end a dust inhaling nozzle (not shown) of well known construction.

It is customary to supply electric energy to the vacuum cleaner 10 by means of a flexible cord or cable ll which is attached at its free end to a plug l8.

The-present invention is not concerned with the particular general and detail construction of a commercial vacuum cleaner above described, but

the present invention is intended to feature the resilient bumper 19 as applied to commercial vacuum cleaners.

tion shown in Figure 3,,

'lll serves as a rest dustcan ll.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the bumper !9 comprises a circular rim 20 of convexo-concave cross-section, concentrically secured to the exterior surface 2| of the dust can I l adjacent the top rim 22 thereof by means of three or more equally spaced distance pieces 23 of sufiicient length so as to provide ample space between the H and the bumper IQ for the fingers of the user to readily gripthe bumper [El wheri used as a hand hold. f K f The said distance pieces 23 maybe riveted to the dust can I! and the ring 20 as shown, 'or,.if

secured. A preferably endless, elastic ring 24 of circular cross-section which is made of soft rubber, or other resilient material is sprung into final position as best shown in Figll18Z3-0f the drawing.-

An alternative form of bumper is shown indetail inFigure' 7. In this construction a tubular ring 2511s bein used which, is.;;concentrical ly mounted around the exterior uppenportionof the dust receptacle ll and rigidly'held in' position by distance pieces-.25:of similar design, or otherwise, as the onesdescribed infthe construc- 21 indicates a removable; resilient covering 'made of soft rubber or other .similar -material which snugly embraces the tubular ring. 25, as shown in Figure 7. qThis resilient covering '2'] may be molded of soft rubber and has the shape of a miniature automobile tire in: cross-section and comprises a substantiallythick-center'portion 28 and the gradually thinned outopposing free 'ends 29 and 30. By forming the coveringZl as shown, it is possible .to readilyattach to or remove from the latter from the ring 25 without tools...

I When it is desired to remove-the dustbfrom the dust receptacle Il,1the'top*l.3 is l'readily removed by releasing thecIamps 14, after which the filter (notishoWn) in the interior of the'dust -'canis lifted out.- The operator-then grips-the "bumper [9, now s'ervihg as a: hand-holdj-with both hands and tilts the 'dustcan into a position as shown in Eig ure"6 for the 'purpose of emptying the dust." r

In order to thoroughly remove the dust adhering to the interior walls ofthwdust can' H the latter is tilted over so that' the bumper ['9 po'sitionas-shown in'Figure SQ i l In the heretofore describedcase the bumper for the upper portiono f the rests on the floor and'the dustear: assumes a Aiter the filter (not shown) is again inserted into the dust can II and the top [3 is replaced into its normal position and locked by the clamps 14, the apparatus If] is again ready for further operation.

Considered in its generali aspect, the present desired the same may be welded or otherwise portion of the dust can when it is desired to remove thesdust, from the interior walls of the dust can.

, At this time it may be mentioned that the outside diameter of the bumper should be of larger dimension than any exposed metal parts of the apparatus.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction of .the bumper and the mode of attachment can be greatly modified and additions made without departing from the scope of the present invention and while describing two devices which are now considered to be the best embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various changes of the minor details of construction or assembly may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a portable vacuum cleaner including a dust container normally disposed upright and having radially outstanding supports at its lower end projecting downwardly therefrom, and a removable, cover for the upper end of the container carrying suction producing. mechanism carried thereby, a combined bumper and handle for said container comprising arim of appreciably greater internal. diameter than said container, brackets extending radiallyof said rim between the inner periphery of the rim and the container with their .innerf'ends. secured to the container adjacent but in downwardly spaced relation tothe upper end'v thereof and-their outer ends fixed to the rim in spaced relation to each other circumferentially of the rim and midway the, width of the inner face, thereof to mount the rim in concentric spacedirelation to the container, said rimhaving its inner face transversely, arcuate to provide a 

